Body powders of various types are well known for topical application to the skin to help provide absorption of sebaceous secretions and sweat. These products are commonly applied to the skin after showering or bathing, and are especially useful when applied to those areas of the skin that are more prone to perspiration wetness throughout the day. The applied powders readily adhere to the moist, recently-cleansed skin and thus provide a clean, dry feeling immediately after application. These products are often in the form of solid, flowable powders that contain fluid-absorbent particulates such as colloidal kaolin, starch, precipitated chalk, magnesium carbonate and other functionally similar materials.
Although body powders are effective in providing immediate fluid-absorbent benefits after application, they are not particularly effective over prolonged periods. Once applied to the skin, these powders almost immediately begin to fall off and wear away. Over extended periods of time, very little of the originally applied powder remains on the skin, so that perspiration wetness or sebum secretions that flow onto the surface of the skin over time are no longer absorbed and therefore are no longer effectively removed by the applied powders. As perspiration wetness and associated oils remain and accumulate on the surface of the skin, the skin begins to feel oily and dirty.
One method of improving the performance of body powders has been to reapply the powders to the desired area of the skin as needed throughout the day to help maintain the clean, dry feeling associated with the application of such fluid-absorbent materials to the skin. For most people, however, frequent reapplication of a body powder throughout the day is neither desirable nor practical. Even a single application of a body powder tends to be messy, especially when applied to those areas of the skin that come in contact with clothing. Moreover, these powders tend to rub off more easily when the skin comes in contact with clothing, leaving the skin unprotected with fluid-absorbent body powder, much of which deposits onto the clothing leaving a white or chalking appearing residue on the clothing.
Still other methods of improving the extended wear characteristics of common body powders involves the addition of adhesive materials to the powders such as water-insoluble metallic soaps (e.g., zinc and magnesium stearates), emollients such as cetyl or stearyl alcohol and glyceryl monostearate, petroleum jelly, mineral oil, and similar other materials. These added adhesives help improve deposition and adherence of the powders to the skin, thus improving the extended wear characteristics of the body powder. Although these adhesives provide extended wear properties to the product, the powder still tends to wear away shortly after application, readily sloughs off and forms a visible residue on clothing, and is messy to apply. Many of these adhesives can also interfere with the fluid-absorbent efficacy of the body powders, as well as provide for poor skin feel or other undesirable cosmetic characteristics.
It has now been found that fluid-absorbent solids can be selected and formulated within a liquid composition to provide effective deposition of the solids onto the skin, while also providing adhesion and maintenance of those solids onto the skin over prolonged periods of time, along with desirable skin feel and other cosmetic characteristics. It has been found that such a formulation can be achieved by preparing a topical liquid composition comprising fluid-absorbent solids having a Water Absorption Value as defined herein of at least about 0.5 grams/gram, an adhesive fluid such as a solubilized adhesive material, and a liquid carrier, wherein the liquid composition has an Average Wear Index as defined herein of at least about 25%. These liquid compositions are easier and less messy to apply than conventional body powders, can result in less visible residue on surrounding clothing, and can provide improved fluid-absorption benefits as compared to similar other materials containing other well known adhesives.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a body powder formulation that provides moisture and other fluid absorbing benefits over prolonged periods of time. It is a further object of the present invention to provide such a formulation from a liquid composition that is less messy to apply than conventional dry powders and has desirable skin feel and cosmetic benefits. It is still a further object of the present invention to provide such a liquid composition by combining a suitable liquid carrier, an adhesive fluid, and certain moisture-absorbent solids, to provide an extended wear product.